I love this time of year. The leaves are changing, the air is chilling and somewhere out there, someone is burning leaves and leaving a wonderful smell behind. This time of year always makes me crave apple cider and donuts. Sweaters and boots. Fingerless gloves and the adrenaline of plotting my NaNoWriMo novel.

If you recall this time last year, I was an angst-ridden mess. I didn't know if I would participate in the roller coaster rode of NaNo. I wanted to. I *always* want to. But I wasn't sure if I'd have time, an idea to work with, etc.

This year is different. And not in a way I'm amped about. I've already made my decision about the gloriousness that is NaNoWriMo.

Even though I'm only taking two classes (I dropped my math class - don't judge!), so I've got some extra time on my hands, I'm also working overtime, with crazy hours ranging from shifts that start at 5 a.m, to shifts that end at 3 a.m. I'm always sleepy, almost always cranky, and just all around over being a grown-up.

Other than that, I've joined this amazing writing group which has pushed me to work on the very novel I wrote in the last NaNo I completed. The novel that I've had in the works for at least six years. And I'm making progress on it. I'm excited about it. I feel like this is *the one* and I'm dying to finish it.

And so I've made the very adult decision to sit out this year.

The way I look at it, I'd rather continue work on an already-written novel than to write an all-new rough draft that will require TONS of work. Maybe next year, I'll throw my hand in again. But for now...I will spend the month of November revising.

And I couldn't be more excited about it.

So, what about you? Are you participating NaNoWriMo this year? Do you already have an idea to work with? An outline? Or are you sitting this one out?